Refrigerator matchmate cabinet



1967 G. FELDSER ETAL REFRIGERATOR MATCHMATE CABINET z Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1965 I 0 George Feldser Leslie Alex Feldser Q ATTORNEYS 2, Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 5 INVENTORS George Feldser Leshee/x Feldser ATTORNEYS G. FELDSER ETAL.

Jan 31, 1967 REFRIGERATOR MATCHMATE CABINET Filed June 11, 1965 United States Patent 3,301,618 REFRIGERATOR MATCHMATE CABINET George Feldser and Leslie Alex Feldser, both of 501 S. Staples, Corpus Christi, Tex. 78401 Filed June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,138 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-111) built-in storage cabinets and closets in which non-perishable food items can be stored. However, such storage cabinets are not always arranged foreasy access, and do not always provide suflicient storage space, and accordingly, it is often necessary to utilize a separate storage cabinet. The present invention is concerned'with such a storage cabinet, and is particularly concerned with providing such storage cabinet for use in close association with arefrigerator.

It is' thus a primary object of the presentinvention to' provide a storage cabinet for use with such a refrigerator and to provide such a'storage cabinet as an exact simulation of the refrigerator itself. That is, the storage cabinet of the present invention is to have a height correspondingto the height of a conventional refrigerator, andis preferably to have a depth corresponding to the depth of the conventional refrigerator. The front door of the storagdcabinet of the present invention is formed to simulate exactly the front door of a particular refrigerator, and accordingly, it will be possible to merchandise the refrigerator and' the cabinet as compatible mating units. Such a storage cabinet could be designed to simulate exactly, each particular model ofrefrigerator in any particular manufacturers line, and the cabinet could thusbe used by such manufacturer as a promotional item, either 'to be sold with the refrigerator or to be given away with the purchase of a refrigerator, as a sale promotional technique; If the manufacturer desired, he could apply his nameplate to the cabinet, just as the nameplate is supplied to the refrigerator. Such a cabinet could beplaced immediately alongside a refrigerator, so that the cabinet door and the refrigerator door formed a pair of matching panels, preferably identical except in width. With the cabinet arranged in this particular location, it would not only enable easy access at one location to both the refrigerator and the cabinet, but additionally, such a cabinet could be placed within the wall recess often provided for a refrigerator. In most houses, the wall recess for a refrigerator is somewhat Wider than the width of the refrigerator itself, and thus the cabinet of the present invention could be placed within such recess between one side thereof and the side of the refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet of the hereinbefore described type, wherein such a cabinet is air-tight and hermetic when the door thereof is closed. Thus, although such a cabinet is not refrigerated, it does provide a useful storage area for various food items which need not necessarily be refrigerated, but which have a tendency to spoil or age rapidly when left exposed to the air. Items of this type can include fruits, cheeses, candies, and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet having a plurality of slidable shelves, adjustable in height, but wherein all of said shelves are simultaneously opened with the opening of the cabinet door.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with handle means 18 on the refrigerator.

Patented Jan. 31, 1967 the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet in accordance with the present invention utilized in combination with a conventional refrigerator;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the cabinet of the present invention, with the door thereof moved to an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cabinet door, a cabinet shelf, and their manner of attachment to one another;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the housing utilized in the cabinet of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of a modified form of cabinet utilized in conjunction with a modified form of refrigerator.

In general, the present invention provides a storage cabinet generally designated 10 which is adapted for use in conjunction with a conventional refrigerator generally designated 12. As shown in FIGURE 1, the refrigerator, as is customary, includes a casing 14 having a given height and a given depth, and a refrigerator door means 16 movably secured to the casing and extending across the front thereof. Such refrigerator door means include a handle means 18 fixed to the exterior thereof to permit the door 16 to be swung toward and away from the easing 14.

The cabinet 10 includes a housing 20 having a height and a depth which preferably corresponds to that of the refrigerator casing 14. A cabinet door means 22 closes the normally open front of the housing 20, and a handle means 24 is affixed to such door means. To assure that the cabinet 10 properly simulates the refrigerator 12, the cabinet door means 22 is formed as an exact simulation of the refrigerator door 16. That is, each of such doors is formed of the same material, is covered with an identical coating such as porcelain, has the same thickness, andhas a handle means 24 corresponding identically to the Additionally, as previously described, if a manufacturers nameplate is utilized on the refrigerator door 16, the same nameplate, preferably in the same location, should be provided on the cabinet door 22. If, as shown in FIGURE 6, the refrigerator door means includes a lower portion 16a and a separate upper freezer door portion 16b, then the cabinet door 22 should be provided with a fake seam or dividing line 26 coextensive with the line of division beween the two portions 16a and 16b. Thus, even though the cabinet door 22 is, in fact, a continuous integral panel, its appearance will nevertheless simulate exactly the appearance of the refrigerator front.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 for a further description of the storage cabinet 10, it will be noted that the housing 20 is formed by a pair of spaced opposed side walls 28, 28, a top wall 30, a bottom wall 32, and a rear wall 34 extending between the side, top and bottom walls. All of these walls serve to define within the housing, an internal storage area. The cabinet front door 22 has a height corresponding to the height of the side walls 28, and a Width corresponding to the width of the rear wall 34, or, stated another way, the front door has a size and shape corresponding to a vertical cross section through the housing 20. The front door means 22 is formed as a single continuous integral panel, which, on its inner surface, has a peripheral margin 36 extending thereabout. By referring to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that the forward edges of the side walls 28, the top wall 30 and the bottom wall 32, all terminate at the same point, thereby forming a continuous front edge 38 on the housing. A continuous rubber gasket means 40 is disposed along this front edge 38, with such gasket means serving the function, and simulating the appearance, of the rubber gasket utilized between the door and easing of a conventional refrigerator. When the cabinet door 22 is moved to a closed position, the peripheral margin 36 on the door engages and seat against the gasket 40, thereby hermetically sealing the internal storage space in the housing 26, and thus rendering the cabinet air-tight. Means may be provided for maintaining the door means 22 in closed position, against inadvertent opening thereof, and such means may take the form of a magnet 42, as shown on the door in FIGURE 2, with such magnet seating against a metallic plate 44 carried by the housing, as shown in FIGURE 4.

To serve as a means for supporting item within the cabinet, a plurality of shelves generally designated 46 are provided. A plurality of shelf mounting means generally designated 48 are provided in spaced relation along the side walls 28 of the housing 2th The purpose of the shelf mounting means 48 is to enable the shelves 46 to be adustably positioned within the housing .20, and to enable such shelves to be slid outwardly when the door means 22 is opened, thereby permitting easy access to the items carried by the shelf means 46.

While various forms of shelf constructions and shelf mounting means are suitable for the purposes of the present invention, an exemplary form Off construction is shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. Referring to such figures and particularly FIGURE 3, it will be noted that the shelves 46 include a pair of spaced parallel side channels 50 having outwardly extending flanges 52 extending from the top edge thereof. A plurality of bars or rods 54 extend between the side channels 50 to sup port the items to be stored in the cabinet. A circular stop means 56 is mounted at the rear end of each of the channels 50, for purposes to be presently described, and an elongated bar or rod 58 extends across the forward end of each shelf 46, with the ends of the bar projecting beyond the side channels 50.

The shelf mounting means 48, as shown in FIGURE 4, each includes a generally U-shaped channel member 60 having spaced apart upper and lower flanges respectively identified as 62 and 64. The lower flange 64 extends substantially to the front edge 38 of the cabinet, but the upper flange 62 terminates somewhat short thereof, to permit a roller 66 to be rotatably mounted to the channel 60.

When the shelf 46 is inserted between a pair of spaced mounting means 48, in the manner shown in FIGURE 5, the stop means 56 rides between the spaced apart flanges 62 and 64, and thus supports the shelf, even when the same is in an extended condition slid outwardly from the housing. The flange 62 on the shelf rides along the top of the roller 66, and thereby enables the shelf 46 to be readily slid inward and outward within the housing 20.

The door means 22 on the cabinet 10 is supported solely by means of the shelves 46, but additionally, it is necessary that the door be coupled or attached to such shelves, to thereby assure that the shelves will be slid outwardly when the door is pulled open. To this end, shelf attaching means must be provided on the interior of the door means, and such shelf attaching means are shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3 and are generally designated 68. In the exemplary form of shelf attachment means illustrated, a plurality of recesses 70 are provided on the interior of the door means 22, with each such recess being aligned with the plane of a pair of spaced apart shelf mounting means 48. Each reces 76 is of a size and shape to accommodate the bar 58 on the forward end of a shelf 46, and at the opposite ends of each of the recesses, a pair of pivotally mounted ears 72, 72, are provided. The pivot mounting for each ear is above the recess 70, so that the ear normally hangs in the downward position shown due to its own weight and the effect of gravity. When it is desired to attach a shelf 46 to the door 22, the ears are momentarily moved upwardly to enable the bar 58 to seat within the recess 70. Then, when the ears 72 are released, they will swing downwardly and thereafter, serve to lock the bar 58 within the recess 70.

In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of shelf mounting and attaching means are provided, so that the shelves 46 may be positioned at any desirable height within the cabinet itself. Actually, only two shelves 46 need be used to properly support the door 20, although in actual practice, several shelves will be utilized. As will be seen, the shelves 46.not only serve the function of supporting the times stored within the cabinet, but additionally, serve the function of providing the sole support for the cabinet door means 22. Still further, it will be seen that the shelves 46 not only support the door 22, but are slid outwardly from the cabinet when the door 22 is pulled outwardly, generally by a pulling force effected upon the handle means 24. When the door means.

22 has been pulled outwardly to its outer limit, the stop means 56 on the shelves, abuts against the roller 66 on the shelf mounting means to prevent further outward movement of the door and the shelves.

In order to prevent the cabinet from accidentally being pulled forward when the door means 22 is opened, it may bedesirable to provide a means on the cabinet 10 which coacts with the associated refrigerator 12 to assure that the rear wall 34 of the cabinet housing stays in general alignment with the rear wall of therefrigerator casing. To this end, and as shown in FIGURE 2, an elongated bar 74 can be provided, pivotally attached at its lower end to the rear wall 34 by means of a pivot mounting 76. An abutment 78 may be provided above and in off-set relation to the pivot mounting 76, so that when the bar is in its positionof non-use, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2, it will rest against such abutment. However, when it is desired to have the bar project behind the refrigerator, the bar can be swung downward to its dotted line position whereat it will rest upon another abutment surface 80. When the bar is in its downward position of use, it will extend behind the refrigerator, and will prevent the cabinet from moving forwardly with respect to the refrigerator. Holes 82 may be provided at the end of the bar 74, so that, if desired, bolts can pass therethrough into the rear of the refrigerator, thereby positively securing the cabinet and the refrigerator together. I

In use, the cabinet 10 is disposed immediately alongside a conventional refrigerator 12, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 6, and if desired, the projecting bar means 74 is swung downward to extend behind the refrigerator. Then, the shelves 46 are mounted at their desired adjusted positions within the cabinet and are coupled to the door means 22 by way of the attaching means 68. As long as the door means is in the open position, as shown in FIGURE 2, items may be placed upon and removed from, the shelves 46, from either side of the cabinet. Then, when the door is pushed inwardly, the shelves 46 will slide back into the cabinet until the inner peripheral margin 36 on the door contacts and compresses the gasket 38 on the forward edge of the housing. When this occurs, the storage compartment within the cabinet will be maintained in an air-tight and hermetic condition, thus protecting the items on the shelves from the deleterious effects of exposure to the air.

After reading the foregoing detailed description, it will be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset of the specification have been successfully achieved by the present invention. Accordingly what is claimed is:

1. A multi-shelf storage cabinet having the simulation of a refrigerator and comprising:

a shaped housing having side walls, a top wall, a bottom wall and a rear wall which serve to define an internalstorage area;

said housing having a front edge circumscribed by the forward edges of said top, bottom and side walls; a continuous rubber gasket extending around said housing front edge;

movable away therefrom to permit access to aid cassaid refrigerator door means having handle means on the exterior thereof;

a front door including a continuous panel having a size 5 a cabinet having a housing of said given height and andshape corresponding to the vertical cross-section depth; 7 of said housing; cabinet door means coupled to said housing and movsaid front door having a handle affixed to its outer able away therefrom to permit access to said houssur-face for moving said door relatively to said housing; ing; 1 10 said cabinet door means including a continuous integral said front door having a peripheral margin on its inner panel being an identical simulation of said refrigerasurface adapted to contact and at least partially comtor door means; press said rubber gasket when said front door is said cabinet door means having handle means on the moved to a closed position; f exterior thereof simulating exactly the handle means a plurality of shelf mounting means disposed in spaced on said refrigerator door means; and,

parallel relation along said side walls and extending means aflixed to said housing and projecting behind into s'aid internal torage area; said casing to prevent the rear of said cabinet from a plurality of shelf ttaehingmeans disposed along inadvertently moving ahead of the rear of said resaid front door inner surface in a spacing correg rator, sponding substantially to th a i of aid h lf said cabinet including a plurality of shelves disposed in mounting means; spaced relation within said housing and means slidat least-itwo shelves having opposed parallel side edges y mounted on Said Shelves;

and opposed substantially parallel forward and rear Said cabinet (1001 means being aflixed t0 Said Shelves edges; and being supported olely thereby, whereby, when each of said shelves having their side edges mounted Said Cabinet door means is moved y 0m Said Within said Shelf mounting fi l s; housing by pulling on said cabinet door handle each of said shelves having their. forward edges coupled means, all Of Said Shelves Will be Pulled out of Said to said front door by said shelf attaching means; housingsaid front door being attached to said housing solely The Combination d fin d in Claim 3 Wherein said by the coupling between i Shelves and said from cabinet includes a continuous gasket between said cabinet (10033114, door means and said housing. stop means on said shelves to prevent said shelves from inadvertently eparating from said shelf attaching References Cited by the Exammer means and hence for preventing said front door from V UNITED STATES PATENTS inadvertently separating completely from said hous- 888,735 5/1908 Person '312274 ing. 1,221,498 4/1917 Zerse 312236 2. A multi-shelf storage cabinet as defined in claim 1 2,163,182 6/1939 Warren et al 312-273 X but further including projecting means afiixed to aid r ,4 ,887 7/1948 Wyeth 312-198 Wall for projecting beyond said housing for engagement 2,518,344 3/1950 Lun ke 62326 with the rear of an associated refrigerator. 2,815,649 12/1957 Di Angelus et 312-351 X 3 In combination: 3,106,202 10/1963 Arduna 312-273 X a refrigerator having a casing of a given height and depth; refrigerator door means coupled to said casing and CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Acting Primary Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

3. IN COMBINATION: A REFRIGERATOR HAVING A CASING OF A GIVEN HEIGHT AND DEPTH; REFRIGERATOR DOOR MEANS COUPLED TO SAID CASING AND MOVABLE AWAY THEREFROM TO PERMIT ACCESS TO SAID CASING; SAID REFRIGERATOR DOOR MEANS HAVING HANDLE MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR THEREOF; A CABINET HAVING A HOUSING OF SAID GIVEN HEIGHT AND DEPTH; CABINET DOOR MEANS COUPLED TO SAID HOUSING AND MOVABLE AWAY THEREFROM TO PERMIT ACCESS TO SAID HOUSING; SAID CABINET DOOR MEANS INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS INTEGRAL PANEL BEING AN IDENTICAL SIMULATION OF SAID REFRIGERATOR DOOR MEANS; SAID CABINET DOOR MEANS HAVING HANDLE MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR THEREOF SIMULATING EXACTLY THE HANDLE MEANS ON SAID REFRIGERATOR DOOR MEANS; AND, MEANS AFFIXED TO SAID HOUSING AND PROJECTING BEHIND SAID CASING TO PREVENT THE REAR OF SAID CABINET FROM INADVERTENTLY MOVING AHEAD OF THE REAR OF SAID REFRIGERATOR, SAID CABINET INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SHELVES DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHELVES; SAID CABINET DOOR MEANS BEING AFFIXED TO SAID SHELVES AND BEING SUPPORTED SOLELY THEREBY, WHEREBY, WHEN SAID CABINET DOOR MEANS IS MOVED AWAY FROM SAID HOUSING BY PULLING ON SAID CABINET DOOR HANDLE MEANS, ALL OF SAID SHELVES WILL BE PULLED OUT OF SAID HOUSING. 